Carla Benschop facts for kids
Carla Ida Benschop-de Liefde (born March 20, 1950, in Oud-Beijerland – died September 22, 2006, in Rotterdam) was a super talented Dutch basketball player. She is remembered as one of the best female basketball players the Netherlands ever had!
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Who Was Carla Benschop?
Carla Benschop was born in a small town called Oud-Beijerland. From a young age, she showed amazing talent for basketball. Her mother, Carla de Liefde-Ravelli, even started a basketball club called Basketball Oud-Beijerland (BOB). This is where Carla played her entire career.
Her Amazing Basketball Career
Carla Benschop's time with the BOB team was very successful. They won the Dutch national championship! They even made it to the semi-finals of the European Cup, which is a huge achievement for a club team.
Carla was also a star player for the Dutch national team. She played for them 185 times! This is the second-highest number of games ever played by a Dutch woman, right behind Anita Blangé. During the 1970s, Carla was so good that she was even chosen to be part of the European women's basketball team. She was once named the European female basketball player of the year, which is a massive honor!
Playing for Her Country
It's important to know that when Carla played, women's national basketball teams only had big international tournaments once every two years. So, playing 185 games was a really big deal for that time!
Life After Basketball
After her amazing sports career, Carla Benschop became a physical education teacher. She taught at several high schools, helping young people stay active. In 1990, she married Wim Benschop, who was also a former basketball player.
Carla worked at the Rijksscholengemeenschap school in Oud-Beijerland for 25 years. She left her job in the summer of 2006.
A Sad Farewell
Sadly, just a short time after leaving her job, Carla Benschop was diagnosed with a serious illness. A few weeks later, she passed away at the age of 56. She left behind a legacy as one of the Netherlands' greatest basketball stars.
